Any parents of seniors want to commiserate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't help that we live in the national epicenter of helicopter parenting and psychotic levels of pressure to "succeed", defined solely as getting into a top college no matter what the cost to your mental, emotional and physical health. I grew up on the other side of the country and went to college in the west as well. None of my childhood and university friends' kids are as wound up and generally miserable as the kids in the DC metro region seem to be.

Oh yeah, absolutely no one on the West Coast is wound up about colleges, yeah right. Tell that to the kids in Atherton, or to the SoCal kids whose movie star parents are going to prison for bribing their way into USC.

I live near Atherton and this exactly! HA HA HA No, DC area doesn't have a lock on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are full pay, it is much easier to get in to many schools.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/your-money/college-admissions-wealth.html

So when you hear people saying things like "My nephew had mediocre grades and low test scores but write this really funny essay and got in to all his schools" I have to ask -- was he full pay?

SO how do they know you are full pay at the time of the application?

THEY DON’T: people just like to claim this to make themselves feel like their kid would definitely have gotten in if, if, if...


Admissions committees have no idea how you plan to pay .

This is not true. All schools have deadlines to submit a FAFSA and CSS, if applicable. Many great schools are need aware, not need blind. Many schools don’t meet all demonstrated need. And you can’t ED unless you can make the number of the NPC work. Many people can’t. ED has a higher acceptance rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are full pay, it is much easier to get in to many schools.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/your-money/college-admissions-wealth.html

So when you hear people saying things like "My nephew had mediocre grades and low test scores but write this really funny essay and got in to all his schools" I have to ask -- was he full pay?

SO how do they know you are full pay at the time of the application?

THEY DON’T: people just like to claim this to make themselves feel like their kid would definitely have gotten in if, if, if...


Admissions committees have no idea how you plan to pay .

This is not true. All schools have deadlines to submit a FAFSA and CSS, if applicable. Many great schools are need aware, not need blind. Many schools don’t meet all demonstrated need. And you can’t ED unless you can make the number of the NPC work. Many people can’t. ED has a higher acceptance rate.

The SCHOOLS may be aware, that does not mean the admissions committee is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't help that we live in the national epicenter of helicopter parenting and psychotic levels of pressure to "succeed", defined solely as getting into a top college no matter what the cost to your mental, emotional and physical health. I grew up on the other side of the country and went to college in the west as well. None of my childhood and university friends' kids are as wound up and generally miserable as the kids in the DC metro region seem to be.

Oh yeah, absolutely no one on the West Coast is wound up about colleges, yeah right. Tell that to the kids in Atherton, or to the SoCal kids whose movie star parents are going to prison for bribing their way into USC.

I live near Atherton and this exactly! HA HA HA No, DC area doesn't have a lock on it.

I know of family moving from San Francisco area to here in order to escape the hyper competitiveness in college applications. They consider our area easier and less stressful.

[Anonymous]

Being full pay reduces the stress on kids because they can expand the colleges they are applying to. No need to stress about making it to your state flagship or needing to get merit aid at privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are full pay, it is much easier to get in to many schools.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/your-money/college-admissions-wealth.html

So when you hear people saying things like "My nephew had mediocre grades and low test scores but write this really funny essay and got in to all his schools" I have to ask -- was he full pay?

SO how do they know you are full pay at the time of the application?

THEY DON’T: people just like to claim this to make themselves feel like their kid would definitely have gotten in if, if, if...


Admissions committees have no idea how you plan to pay .

This is not true. All schools have deadlines to submit a FAFSA and CSS, if applicable. Many great schools are need aware, not need blind. Many schools don’t meet all demonstrated need. And you can’t ED unless you can make the number of the NPC work. Many people can’t. ED has a higher acceptance rate.

The SCHOOLS may be aware, that does not mean the admissions committee is

Did you read the link I posted above? The schools have to balance the amount of aid to kids who accept to get the right number of acceptances where the money comes in total will be enough. Basically give low $ numbers to families who can afford it so that they choose their school in enough numbers to make up for giving more $ to kids who can't afford it. It is a balancing act.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we all know life is unfairly easier for the affluent. That’s not news. But the reality is, if your kid was truly impressive, they’d get in and even possibly get a scholarship to go there. If they don’t get in, it’s often because they’re just not particularly impressive or they don’t stand out over other applicants and that IS OK. State schools are perfectly fine. Your kid will get a very good education at JMU or, gasp, even Radford. By your logic only the very rich are getting into college and that’s just not so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we all know life is unfairly easier for the affluent. That’s not news. But the reality is, if your kid was truly impressive, they’d get in and even possibly get a scholarship to go there. If they don’t get in, it’s often because they’re just not particularly impressive or they don’t stand out over other applicants and that IS OK. State schools are perfectly fine. Your kid will get a very good education at JMU or, gasp, even Radford. By your logic only the very rich are getting into college and that’s just not so.

I'm just ONE of the posters here, but by "my logic" -- my kid IS truly impressive, but it's partly because of how hard he is working on academics, extracurriculars, and studying for tests and taking the most rigorous courses offered at his school! Hence, the reason senior year is so stressful for him.

Is life unfairly easier for the affluent? Maybe. I'm just asking you not to give advice meant for the affluent and assume it applies to everyone. If you have money to pay full freight for college for your kids and are happy with Radford or other types of schools for your child there is NO REASON your student needs to pull out all the stops and work like crazy in high school -- at least no reason for college acceptances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't help that we live in the national epicenter of helicopter parenting and psychotic levels of pressure to "succeed", defined solely as getting into a top college no matter what the cost to your mental, emotional and physical health. I grew up on the other side of the country and went to college in the west as well. None of my childhood and university friends' kids are as wound up and generally miserable as the kids in the DC metro region seem to be.

Oh yeah, absolutely no one on the West Coast is wound up about colleges, yeah right. Tell that to the kids in Atherton, or to the SoCal kids whose movie star parents are going to prison for bribing their way into USC.

I live near Atherton and this exactly! HA HA HA No, DC area doesn't have a lock on it.

I know of family moving from San Francisco area to here in order to escape the hyper competitiveness in college applications. They consider our area easier and less stressful.

I believe it. Their kids would probably be better off if they went to a rural and under represented state though.